Video & Transcript Research : 'transparency in fees'
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VA
Virginia 2026 1st Special Session
Virginia Housing Commission - Fees in Residential Rental Agreements Workgroup Jun 16th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- More than 22 states have laws in place to make rental housing fees transparent, and many states have
- deposit and then including other non-refundable fees, such as lease signing fees, move-in fees, or lease
- So we have maintenance fees in Virginia. Good. So we have maintenance fees in Virginia.
- Senate Bill 349, studying rent fees in Virginia.
- Utility account set-up fees. Those are already capped in... Utility account set-up fees.
Keywords:
Virginia Housing Commission - Fees in Residential Rental Agreements Workgroup, 976, house, all
Summary:
The workgroup began with introductions and then reviewed staff research on rental fees, including recent Virginia laws on lease transparency, application fees, payment portal fees, security deposits, pet fees, late fees, and maintenance charges, as well as approaches in other states. Members discussed the federal FTC rule on rental advertising and how Virginia’s current laws interact with broader consumer protection provisions. Several participants raised concerns about enforcement, remedies, and whether transparency rules should be placed in the landlord-tenant code to make them easier for tenants to use.
The main legislative discussion centered on Senator Van Valkenburg’s SB 349, which would standardize and limit several rental charges. The bill would cap application fees at $50, make application deposits optional, limit administrative and utility-related fees, restrict renewal fees, require earlier disclosure of fees before touring, shorten the security deposit return deadline from 45 to 30 days, prohibit automatic move-out fees, and cap security deposits at one month’s rent. Supporters said the bill would improve transparency, predictability, and affordability for renters, while opponents warned about unintended consequences, especially for landlords in college towns and for tenants with weaker credit or unusual circumstances. There was also debate over whether application deposits are used to hold units off the market or function as a barrier to entry, and whether the bill should instead focus on clearer definitions and timing.
Members also discussed application fee practices in Virginia, including whether landlords charge every adult on the lease, whether fees are truly capped at $50 plus out-of-pocket costs, and whether portable tenant screening reports should be considered. On security deposits, there was a sharp divide: tenant advocates argued that a one-month cap would reduce barriers for low-income renters and that larger deposits do not clearly correlate with damage risk, while industry representatives said the current two-month cap helps landlords manage risk and avoid higher rents or litigation costs. The workgroup did not take any formal votes, but the chair indicated that some issues appeared closer to consensus than others and that the application deposit and security deposit provisions likely need further follow-up before any final recommendations.
LA
Keywords:
home inspectors, board membership, licensing, term limits, Louisiana State Board, utility, reimbursement, overcharges, consumer protection, economic relief, hidden fees, junk fees, drip pricing, price transparency, mandatory fees, surcharges, unfair trade practices, advertising disclosures, total price, service fees
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Day 57 (4-1-26) - Part 1
Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting
Keywords:
open records, public access, transparency, government accountability, public agency, dental practice, licensing, administrative regulations, dental assistants, supervision, Medicaid, community engagement, healthcare, managed care, eligibility, public assistance, insurance, public adjuster, claim process, contract requirements
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Day 57 (4-1-26) - Part 2
Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting
Keywords:
open records, public access, transparency, government accountability, public agency, dental practice, licensing, administrative regulations, dental assistants, supervision, Medicaid, community engagement, healthcare, managed care, eligibility, public assistance, insurance, public adjuster, claim process, contract requirements
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Business and Insurance 2ND REVISED Mar 5th, 2026 at 09:30 am
Business and Insurance
Transcript Highlights:
- Illinois filed a bill a couple of years ago on interchange fees, and it was upheld in the courts.
- And so, with the interchange fees We are trying to hone it in because I know you all had received some
- And so, in the interest of because we're only in session for 120 days, and so in the interest of trying
- but again not to over regulate and so what I would ask just out of trust in me in in this in this industry
- shop in it.
Keywords:
ticket sales, resale, consumer protection, fraud, bots, transparency, refunds, event tickets, medical marijuana, cannabis, marijuana license, commercial grower, grow operation, bond requirement, land reclamation fee, revolving fund, environmental remediation, redevelopment, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, OMMA
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- We also have an increase in taxes and fees to support the state road fund.
- So in a nutshell, I'm trying to bring some transparency Into the system so that the legislature can see
- So how are we stacking up now with our neighboring states in terms of fees and costs to register vehicles
- than us in Vehicle registration fees.
- And that way, the increase in the vehicle registration fee would go entirely to the Road Fund to cover
Bills:
SB2
Keywords:
SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- We also have an increase in taxes and fees to support the state. Road Fund.
- Transparency into the system so that the legislature can see in the future where we are going with road
- How are we stacking up now with our neighboring states in terms of fees?
- That way, the increase in the vehicle registration fee would go entirely to the road fund to cover the
- Vehicle registration fee revenue, they won't see any decreases in the amount of dollars compared to what
Bills:
SB2
Keywords:
SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 21st, 2026 at 01:58 pm
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- And so this is one option to the legislature in order To save and in order to get family buy-in as well
- in the program.
- Now, when you invest in pre-kindergarten, you're also investing in the child care system in a way.
- care center or in a home in a classroom. or in a government facility, an institution.
- Everything in the medical field, everything in the educational field, everything in public safety.
Bills:
SB2
Keywords:
SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Administration of Criminal Justice Apr 8th, 2026
Administration of Criminal Justice
Keywords:
juvenile justice, electronic monitoring, annual report, supervision outcomes, data transparency, inmate release, notification, law enforcement, victims, public safety, hit-and-run, crime of violence, felony, sentencing, battery, sound, intentional harm, physical pain, hearing impairment, video voyeurism
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House State Government Finance and Policy Committee 3/24/26
State Government Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And increasing transparency in the rule-making process is so important.
- accountability in transparency and accountability in rule-making rule-making rule-making and<01:03:25.680
- <01:04:28.640>
process transparency in the rule-making process transparency in the rule-making - transparency in making making state transparency in making making state government<01:14:24.560>
- I think everybody in transparency bill.
Keywords:
Inspector General, fraud prevention, state audit, public funds, misuse, transparency, government accountability, HF4482, Minnesota Historical Society, state historic sites, historic site management, historic preservation, county historical society, local historical society, municipality, county government, admission fees, grants-in-aid, site operations, site maintenance
AL
Alabama 2026 1st Special Session
Alabama House Financial Services Committee Mar 10th, 2026
Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- We ask this in Christ's name. Amen. I appreciate that.
- So, the most fabulous and wonderful clerk there is in the House of Representatives.
- If it in 1 2 6 or 7, it is rounded down.
- charges, assessments, or fees imposed. charges, assessments, or fees imposed.
- All those in favor of >> All right. Second.
Keywords:
Escambia County, probate court, court fees, legal services, judicial legislation, HB545, legal tender, cash rounding, nearest five cents, nickel rounding, in-person cash transaction, cash transactions, change making, sales tax, Department of Revenue, merchant payments, consumer payments, currency rounding, cash payment, retail transactions
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- This is a ballot in May of '22 in Williamson County.
- We've had problems with this issue in 2020, '22, and '23 in Williamson County.
- that they cannot vote in.
- I was a voter in that election in Florence.
- In Williamson County in 2020, and I've given you that ballot in that other packet, there were voters
Bills:
HB223
Keywords:
municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures
Summary:
The Committee on State Affairs heard several House bills, with most measures left pending after testimony and later taken up in a batch of votes. Early in the meeting, HB 5624 on liability protections for motocross/off-road vehicle tracks, HB 223 on requiring competitive procurement for municipal lobbying contracts, HB 3709 on post-election audit procedures, and HB 5081 on protecting personal information of judicial officers and court staff were all discussed and left pending after testimony. Witnesses on HB 223 supported greater transparency in municipal lobbying contracts. HB 3709 drew sharp opposition from an election integrity advocate who argued the bill would reduce precinct-level granularity and make it harder to detect ballot errors, while a Secretary of State resource witness said the bill would simplify and standardize the audit process by location. HB 5081 received strong support from court administration and a district judge who described prior threats and an attack tied to publicly available personal information.
The committee also heard HB 3546 on allowing school districts to move elections to November, HB 493 on barring certain felony offenders from serving as poll watchers, HB 5115 on increasing penalties for election fraud and related conduct, HB 4081 on trade secret filing procedures, HB 3909 on limiting restrictions on wireless devices at polling places, HB 2702 on limiting gubernatorial closure authority for certain veterans organizations during pandemics, HB 119 on foreign adversary lobbying, and HB 5138 on the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes. Several of these bills were explained with committee substitutes and then left pending before final action. Testimony on HB 493 and HB 5115 came from an election integrity advocate who supported both bills, saying the poll watcher restriction was appropriately narrowed and that the election fraud bill would help address invalid votes and refusal to count valid votes.
Later, the committee took up pending business and voted out a large number of bills, generally along party lines or with broad support. HB 186 on minors’ social media use, HB 229, HB 2885, HB 3909 as substituted, HB 4285, HB 1661, HB 2820, HB 3181, HB 4157, HB 223, HB 521, HB 640, HB 1234, HB 2253, HB 2294, HB 3053, HB 3697 as substituted, HB 4281, HB 4463, HB 4995, HB 5081 as substituted, HB 5624 as substituted, HB 119 as substituted, HB 3225, HB 5138 as substituted, HB 5115, HB 481 as substituted, HB 3546, HB 493, and HB 4145 were reported favorably to the full Senate, with several also placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted committee substitutes for multiple bills, including HB 3909, HB 5081, HB 5624, HB 119, HB 5138, and HB 481. At the end, the chair noted another committee meeting would likely be needed before deadlines, possibly on a weekend, and recessed the committee subject to the call of the chair.
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee Mar 5th, 2025
Constitution, Campaigns and Elections
Transcript Highlights:
- We are now in formal session this morning.
- Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
- This changes one word in an existing statute, and that changes the election in an off-presidential year
- I love, hopefully, we've got it in a better position now. ...got it in a better position.
- I know in Shelby County, our costs... ...know in Shelby County, it's a bunch of money.
Keywords:
primary election, election calendar, off-presidential year, May primary, second Tuesday in May, fourth Tuesday in May, runoff primary, special primary, presidential primary, election administration, candidate filing, ballot access, political parties, county election officials, state election law, Alabama elections, elections, voter registration, publishing requirements, cost-saving
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The bill proposes to help new wineries and in that industry, including offering substantially lower fees
- Messina Hoff humbly started in 1977 in a mobile home, and we now have four locations, including in Bryan
- We went from us being the fourth winery in the state in 1977 to only having about 50 wineries in the
- In Houston, where bodies are left out in the open with no AC. That was in April of 2025.
- This bill would improve fairness and transparency in the handgun licensing process by ensuring that applicants
Bills:
HB223
Keywords:
municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- that they cannot vote in.
- I was a voter in that election in Florence.
- I live in Florence, Senator Schwartz; I'm in your district and...
- We have this in Dallas County.
- In Williamson County, in... ...2020, and I've given you that ballot in the other packet.
Bills:
HB223
Keywords:
municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs May 13th, 2026
Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Well, I didn't have to come in. I didn't have to come in. Well, yeah, you had to come.
- Sanders, who lives here in Baton Rouge, and he has put in a green card.
- in the upcoming year.
- in.
- “And with that, we have only cards in support, no cards in opposition.
Bills:
SCR53, HB259, HB267, HB478, HB548, HB555, HB617, HB670, HB672, HB797, HB848, HB917, HB921, HB1096, HB1103, HB1166, HB1195, HB1230
Keywords:
payable-on-death accounts, transfer-on-death accounts, estate planning, beneficiary designations, Louisiana law, task force, inheritance, nonprobate transfers, excavation, demolition, infrastructure repair, BEAD Program, utility damage, construction coordination, contact point, home inspectors, board membership, licensing, term limits, Louisiana State Board
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Jurisprudence (Part II)Note: Video begins with the meeting already in progress. May 21st, 2025
Jurisprudence
Transcript Highlights:
- , court costs, and expenses in family law proceedings. 1973 will be reported in favor to the full Senate
- line with what's in the budget.
- line with what's in the budget.
- order now and it's all open and transparent.
- order now and it's all open and transparent.
Keywords:
business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, divorce, property division, family law, court jurisdiction, marital assets, parent-child relationship, birth certificate, identity proof, Family Code, court process, attorney fees, court costs, legal expenses, dispute resolution, child support
Summary:
The committee considered several House bills dealing with family law and civil procedure. House Bill 1916, concerning a court’s jurisdiction in suits to divide property not divided on dissolution of marriage, was reported favorably on a 4-0 vote and recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. House Bill 1973, addressing proof of the identity of a child’s parents in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, was also adopted with a committee substitute, reported favorably 4-0, and sent to the local and uncontested calendar. House Bill 2524, on recovery of fees, court costs, and expenses in family law proceedings, and House Bill 2530, on special appointments in suits affecting the parent-child relationship, each received favorable 4-0 votes and were likewise recommended for the local and uncontested calendar.
The committee then took up House Bill 3180, which was reported favorably 4-0 and recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. The most detailed discussion centered on House Bill 40, relating to updates to business courts. Senator Hughes explained a committee amendment that made conforming changes requested by the Finance Committee and removed language creating two new judgeships, replacing it with a different judge allocation. The amendment was adopted, the amended committee substitute was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably on a 4-0 vote and sent to the local and uncontested calendar.
At the end of the meeting, members briefly clarified procedural details about the House Bill 40 amendment and then closed out the agenda. The committee also noted a correction to an earlier reference to Bartleby the Scrivener, and the Chair recessed the Committee on Jurisprudence subject to the call of the chair.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- “House Bill 2524 simply renders the language regarding attorney's fees in the Family Code consistent.
- We all recognize in the practice of the law that attorney's fees not only must be reasonable for the
- This basically update to the code makes sure that all references to awards of attorney's fees be in..
- .” “...make sure that all references to awards of attorney's fees be in the case where the attorney's
- But the statute doesn't say where lawsuits related to private transfer fees in existence before 2011
Keywords:
business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, divorce, property division, family law, court jurisdiction, marital assets, parent-child relationship, birth certificate, identity proof, Family Code, court process, attorney fees, court costs, legal expenses, dispute resolution, child support
Summary:
The committee heard several House bills, most of them relating to family law and court procedure, and left each bill pending after testimony. House Bill 1916 would clarify that the court that issued a final divorce decree retains exclusive jurisdiction over later actions involving undivided property. House Bill 1973 would require a certified birth certificate, if reasonably available, to be filed with a SAPCR petition or allow alternative proof of parentage while keeping the information confidential. House Bill 2530 would add qualifications and procedural safeguards for appointing amicus attorneys in SAPCR cases, including notice and hearing requirements, minimum qualifications, conflict rules, and limits on what amicus attorneys may do. House Bill 2524 would make Family Code references to attorney’s fees consistent by using “reasonable and necessary” language. House Bill 3180 would correct a scrivener’s error in the civil discovery rules by changing “settlement” to “statement.”
The committee also heard House Bill 4213, which would change the interest rate on overdue child support from the current 6 percent simple interest to a fixed 5 percent and require the Attorney General to report on the impact of the change. Testimony was sharply divided: supporters argued lower interest could improve collections and help low-income obligors catch up, citing research and the size of child-support arrearages; opponents said lowering the rate would reduce incentives to pay and harm custodial parents and children. The Attorney General’s office raised implementation concerns about a House version that would have created a variable rate, while the committee substitute was described as restoring a simple fixed rate. After testimony, the bill was left pending.
The committee also discussed House Bill 40, updating business court provisions and supplemental jurisdiction; House Bill 3421, streamlining probate procedures for original wills and copies; and House Bill 417, clarifying venue for lawsuits involving private transfer fees on real property. Each drew limited testimony and was left pending. Finally, House Bill 3783 drew extensive testimony on court-ordered counseling and reunification therapy in family cases. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would protect children and abuse victims from coercive, unregulated reunification practices, while opponents argued it was too broad, could interfere with legitimate therapy and judicial discretion, and might affect military families and other high-conflict cases. The committee heard testimony from judges, therapists, parents, survivors, and advocates, but took no final action and left the bill pending.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Day 56 (3-31-26)
Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- is in order. is in order.
- This improves transparency in sentencing and helps victims, prosecutors, and parole authorities understand
- It creates more financial transparency in a publicly funded child care program.
- It's meant to allow a greater amount of transparency, and it really will allow those in the health care
- and it really will allow transparency and it really will allow those<04:05:09.040>
in <04:05:09.279
Keywords:
open records, public access, transparency, government accountability, public agency, dental practice, licensing, administrative regulations, dental assistants, supervision, Medicaid, community engagement, healthcare, managed care, eligibility, public assistance, insurance, public adjuster, claim process, contract requirements
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- 2014 to 193 in 2022.
- I'm in real estate. I don't know. I do not. I'm in real estate.
- And this isn't— it happened in Houston, but it's happened in other places.
- a fellow in federal court who was living in McKinney.
- door in his own home.
Bills:
HB115
Keywords:
public funds, lobbying, political subdivision, government spending, transparency, HB 115, taxpayer-funded lobbying, local government lobbying, county association dues, municipal lobbying, lobbyist registration, Chapter 305, Government Code Section 556.0056, Local Government Code Section 89.002, county government, city government, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, state association of counties, sheriffs association
Summary:
The Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence reconvened with a quorum present and announced it would likely not vote that night because of confusion over the bill list; members were told a definitive list would be circulated the next morning and a formal meeting would be scheduled later. The chair then heard a series of bills, generally taking testimony and leaving each pending without action. House Bill 1847 would set maximum caseload standards for private attorneys handling indigent criminal appointments through the Texas Indigent Defense Commission; House Bill 2417 would expand compensation eligibility for some wrongfully imprisoned people; House Bill 2813 would require earlier and more specific victim notice of scheduled court proceedings; and House Bill 2309 would expand state and local authority in certain civil asset forfeiture cases involving human trafficking, health care fraud, and organized crime. Each bill was laid out by its author or a member, with no opposition witnesses registered, and each was left pending.
The committee also heard House Bill 4733, which would require sealing records for people acquitted of charges when they were not convicted on the related allegation; House Bill 2328, which would modernize expunction service by encouraging electronic notice, setting a standardized fee when electronic service is unavailable, extending clerk retention of expunction orders, and preserving certain mental health commitment orders; and House Bill 115, which would revise Texas’s “junk science” post-conviction writ law by providing counsel, changing the relief standard, requiring written decisions, and easing procedural barriers. Testimony on HB 2328 was mixed: county clerks supported the bill as a cost-saving modernization, while legal advocates warned that permanent retention of expunction orders could undermine true expunction and create privacy risks. HB 115 drew support from innocence and defense organizations, with some concern about a provision affecting subsequent writs. All were left pending after testimony.
Later, the committee heard House Bill 2046, which would allow affirmative family-violence findings for any Penal Code offense rather than only Title V offenses; testimony from a Dallas County prosecutor and a committee member emphasized that family violence can involve arson, burglary, fraud, and other non-Title V conduct, and the bill was left pending. House Bill 1765 would tighten restrictions on no-knock warrants by requiring higher-level approval, judicial review, and identifiable officers; members discussed the dangers highlighted by the Harding Street raid and similar incidents, and the bill was also left pending. The meeting ended with the chair noting that some bills had been removed from the agenda at the author’s request and that members should be prepared to finalize the vote list the next day.